Grandmultiparity in Malaysian women

Grandmultiparity is an ill defined term, but it is generally believed that increasing parity after the fifth delivery increases the risks of child bearing for both the mother and fetus. Four hundred seventy-seven women aged less than 35 years of parity 5 and above who delivered during one year period at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur were studied. There were 406 women of parity 5 and 6 and 71 women of parity 7 and above. The 2 groups as a whole comprised 7.5% of the obstetric population for that year. Obstetric performance in the 2 groups of grandmultipara was compared with 1,135 women, aged 25 to 34 years, having their second baby during the same period. Women of parity 7 and above were significantly more likely to be from lower socioeconomic groups, and suffer from anaemia, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. They were also significantly at risk of preterm delivery and delivering infants weighing less than 2.5 kg. In addition, the perinatal mortality rate was significantly greater in the highly parous group (Para greater than 7) than in women of parity 5 and 6 or the control group. Apart from a significant increase in the incidence of anaemia, women of parity 5 and 6 had a similar obstetric performance and perinatal outcome to that of the control group. We conclude that grandmultiparity per se is not an obstetric risk factor until after the seventh delivery. These findings have implications for those who plan the provision of obstetric services for the community.